Cable release for time exposures



July 11, 1939. w. A.y RIDDELJ. 2,155,414

CABLE RELEASE FCR TIME EXPOSURES 'Filed Dec. 8, 1937 FIC-1.1.

-// Wi l iwf ARiddell INVENTOR v BY @7171/ 1.9 ATTORNEYS Patented July 11, 1939 vUNITED STATES CABLE RELEASE FOR TIBIE EXPOSURES William A. Riddell, Rochester, N. Y., assigner to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a.k corporation of New Jersey Application December 8, 1937, Serial No. 178,769

3 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to photography and more particularly to cable releases adapted to actuate photographic shutters.

One object of my invention is to provide a cable release in which two nger grips may be pressed together to actuate a shutter and in which the thrust member of the cable release may be retained against a return movement automatically. Another object of my invention is to provide a linger release for a friction latching means for the cable release plunger. Another object of my invention is to provide a cable rey lease with a friction'latching means which can readily be rendered inoperative, if desired, and

ll other objects will appear from the following specification, thev novel features being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

Coming now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cable release constructed in accordance with and embodying a preferred form ofl my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of one of the cable release grips taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 .with the parts' in a plunger Y V3g; Fig. 1.

It has been customary for many years to operate camera shutters by means of a cable release to eliminate, as far as possible, shake which frequently results fromy toor heavy or too sudden 40 pressure on` a shutter trigger.

Many of the more modern cameras are provided With double exposure prevention devices which are so constructed that the shutters can only be used for the so-called bulb exposures, 45 that is. an exposure in which the trigger is depressed for opening the shutter and released for closing the shutter. Such shutters are not convenient to use where prolonged exposures are required, because the operator must manually 50 hold the shutter open.

My present cable release is particularly directed for use with such cameras and shutters and is arranged so that when the finger grips are pressed together to open the shutter, they may `55 remain in this position until manually released by an operator. If desired, the friction latch designed to hold the finger grips together can be readily rendered inoperative so that the cable release may be used in the when desired. A

As indicated in Fig. 1, the cable release may consist of a pair of finger grips I and 2 which are normally spaced apart by means of a spring 3 which presses upon a shoulder 4 on a plunger 5 which may actuate the flexible thrust member 6 .which terminates, in turn, in a ferrule 'I which is adapted to operate a shutter. Asfthus far described, the construction of the cable releasev maybe of any well known type.

In accordance with my invention, I equip the linger grip 2 with a friction latching device. As indicated in Fig. 2 this device may consist of a plug 8 which is slidably mounted in an opening 9 and which terminates in an end I0' of reduced diameter about which a spring II is coiled to normally thrust the plug in the direction shown by the arrow.- 0n the opposite end of the plug 8 there is a push button I2 for moving the plug against the action of the spring II to release the plunger 5. The plunger 5 passes through a slot I3 in the plug, this slot being elongated in form and having a pair of V-shaped shoulders I4 adapted to engage two portions of the periphery of the plunger 5 to frictionally hold the plunger in any set position. Thus, when an operator moves the nger grips I and 2 toward each other, the plunger 5 will be frictionally engaged by the V-shaped walls I4 and as the strength of the spring II is just sufficient' to overcome the thrust on the plunger exerted by the spring 3, the finger grips I and 2 will remain in any set position. The action of the spring 3 and the spring II upon the plunger 5 is so light that it does not appreciably restrain manual movement of the two finger grips.

When Vthe plunger is held by the plug 8 as standard manner gh., Y s..

shown in Fig. 2, the ferrule 1 will remain in conltact with the shutter trigger and the shutter leaves will be held in an open position until the plunger 5 is released. This can be readily accomplished by pressing in upon the push button I2 slightly compressing the spring II as indicated inFig. 3 and permitting the spring to again separate the finger grips I and 2. This, of course, causes the retraction of the plunger 5 and permits the shutter leaves to close.

Since the friction latch is only desirable when time exposures are to be made, I have provided a means for denitely rendering the friction latch inoperative. As indicated in Fig. 4, the

plug has a groove I5 extending around the push button I2, and this groove isl so proportioned that when the plug B is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the groove lies substantially parallel to an edge I6 of a disk I'I rotatably mounted upon a stud I8 and preferably having an arcuate cut-out I9 in'one edge. The disk may be knurled at 2E! to facilitate its operation.

In order to render the plug 8 inoperative, the push button I2 is depressed and the disk I'I rotated by its knurling 20 until a portion of the disk lies in the groove I5. Thus, the push buttonIZ will be held in the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the V-shaped Walls I4 are held out of contact with the plunger 5. In this position the cable release may be operated in the usual manner and the spring 3 will always hold the nger grips I and 2 separated except at such times as when they may be pressed together by an operator to make an exposure.

Whenever a time exposure is to be made, the disk Il' may be turned byV its knurling 20 until the arcuate cut-out I 9 lies adjacent the plug i! and a portion of the disk I'I no longer lies in the groove I5. This permits the spring II to immediately move the plug 8 outwardly into the posi tion shown in Fig. 2 in which it frictionally engages the plunger 5.

What I claim is:

l. In a cable release, the combination with pair of finger grips, a tubular member carried by one grip and a plunger carried by the other, a spring for holding the nger grips separated, a friction latch for the plunger carried by one finger grip and comprising a plug having an ture therethrough encircling the plunger, said aperture being elongated and having V-shaped walls adapted to frictionally engage the lunger, a spring for holding the V-shaped walls in eenn tact with the plunger of sufficient strength to overcome the thrust oi the plunger spring upen the plunger, but of insuiicient strength to ma" terially retard the manual operation of the plunger, said plug extending laterally et the finger grip supporting the friction latch for releasing the friction latch.

2. In a cable release, the combination with a pair of finger grips, a tubular member carried by one grip and a plunger carried by the other, a spring for holding the finger grips separated, a friction latch for the plunger carried by one finger grip and comprising a plug having an aperture therethrough encircling the plunger, said aperture being elongated and having V-shaped walls adapted to frictionally engage the plunger, a spring for holding the V-shaped walls in contact with the plunger of suiicient strength to overcome the thrust of the plunger spring upon the plunger, but of insuicient strength to materially retard the manual operation of the plunger, said plug extending laterally of the linger grip supporting the friction latch for releasing the friction latch and a disk pivotally mounted adjacent the plug having a cut-out and adapted to be turned to hold the plug against its spring and thereby render the V-shaped Walls inoperative and to be turned to release the plug when, said cut-out is brought into alinement therewith, whereby the V-shaped walls may be rendered operative by the plug spring.

3. In a cable release, the combination with a pair of nger grips, a tubular member carried by one grip and a plunger carried by the other, a

spring for holding the finger grips separated, aV

friction latch for the plunger carried by one iinger grip and comprising a plug having an aperture therethrough encircling the plunger, said aperture being elongated and'having V-shaped Walls adapted to frictionally engage the plunger, a spring for holding the V-shaped Walls of said plug in frictional contact with the plunger of sufcient strength to overcome the force exerted on the plunger by the plunger spring, but of insufcient'strength to materially retard the manual operation of the plunger, said plug extending laterally of the ringer grip supporting the friction latch for releasing the friction` latch and a disk pivotally mounted adjacent the plug having an arcuatepcut-out therein, said disk when the arcuate cut-out is positioned permitting free movement of the plug past the disk and when turned to move the arcuate cut-out away from the ,plug being adapted to extend over a portion of the depressed plug to latch the same against movement.

WILLIAM A. RIDDELL. 

